Midori Fields
by Pale Plum Melodies
Summary: Tears fell from her eyes while blood dripped from his right hand. "Why?" he asked softly. Then he turned around and ran away, leaving the shocked girl alone, with the broken glass pieces on the ground and droplets of blood.
1. Chapter 1

**Midori Fields**

**by D'unforgiven Assassin**

There was no teacher around and the whole class was in major chaos. Summer was already nearing but Ino couldn't understand why it was so cold.

She looked outside the window and she saw the athletes starting their practices for the upcoming Summer Sports Festival to be held in Suna.

She had been blankly staring at the dark-haired boy sitting on the bench who also glared at her the moment she looked at him. To avoid being embarrassed, she just stood up and transferred to another corner, leaving the boy looking at the now empty seat.

Now, she was sitting by the door, thinking why she was so stupid. _"Damn it! Damn it! That was Uchiha Sasuke, why did I look at him like that?!"_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly, the door opened and two tall boys entered the room. "Okay 4-C, tone down your voices, Asuma-sensei will be arriving any moment." the boy wearing eyeglasses announced. Ino's eyes widened as she noticed that it was Sasuke standing behind the four-eyed-freak, Kabuto.

She tried to hide herself from him by covering her face with a book. But, there was no escape, she felt a hand grab her arm and immediately pulled her out of her seat.

The class didn't even know what had happened since they were busy doing other stuff, but one pineapple-haired guy did.

As the two walked along the corridors, they stayed silent. The blonde-haired girl was stunned when they stopped walking and Sasuke punched, with his bare fist, the glass-covered bulletin board.

Tears fell from her eyes while blood dripped from his right hand. "Why?" he asked softly. Then he turned around and ran away, leaving the shocked girl alone, with the broken glass pieces on the ground and droplets of blood.

She sat in one corner, hugged her knees and leaned her head on the wall.

It had been an hour now, but no Asuma-sensei came, no one noticed her there, not until the bell rang for dismissal.

Shikamaru rushed her to the school clinic but then it was already closed. He never dared follow them when he saw Sasuke pull her out of the classroom; it wasn't his 'stuff'. He knew that the two still had some unfinished business even though Ino was now his girlfriend.

--

Ino slowly opened her eyes and saw herself lying on the bench. Shikamaru was sitting under the tree in front of her. "So you're awake." he mumbled. "Yeah, thanks." she smiled at him. He smirked back. "A-about Sasuke, what happened to him?" she asked. "Dunno." he answered lazily. He never cared about him anyway.

Shikamaru walked her home. It was a day she could never forget. By the time she took a bath, and looked at herself in the mirror, the scene played again. She could see him punching the bulletin board again, blood dripping from his hands. _"Why couldn't he forget about it…forget about 'us'?" _she thought.

She lay on her bed and covered herself with the blanket…she thought of that pink-haired girl who was smiling every time Ino said the name 'Sasuke'.

"_You know, it's the first time I've seen Sasuke this happy, Ino-chan. I guess I wasn't just good enough for him. Before I leave, I want to thank you. I hope when I come back, I would still see you with him; I would still see him smiling. Promise me." she said those words seriously. Ino smiled. "I promise."_ then the blonde-haired girl passed out.

It was a broken promise. They were no longer together. He never smiled. He was always alone. _"I'm sorry I broke my promise, Sakura…" _she mumbled in her sleep.

--

The next few weeks Ino didn't hear much about Sasuke. She decided to ask some of his friends because she was worried and was also curious about what happened to him after that event. Along her way to the football field, she encountered Kiba who was in a hurry. "Inuzuka-san!" she called out. Kiba turned his head to her and took a deep breath. "Ah, Yamanaka-san…" he gave her a sinister look. "Why are you here? Captain and you had gone 'bye bye' right?" he asked. Ino looked down, "How is he?" she asked softly. "Why don't you ask him that? Go Yamanaka-san! Fighting!" he yelled and ran away.

Ino turned around hopelessly and was surprised to see Sasuke standing inches away from her, half naked. She walked passed him silently. "Why did you come here?" he asked. "It's none of your business." she replied nonchalantly.

Gai-sensei appeared into action breaking the heating conversation between Sasuke and Ino. "Ah, it's really rare for me to see a couple dating beside the football field. By the way Uchiha-san, are you ready for tomorrow?" Gai-sensei asked.

Ino's eyes widened. _"Tomorrow? What's happening tomorrow?" _she thought to herself.

Sasuke smirked and answered, "I have been waiting for this moment Gai-sensei."

Ino bowed before them and left. _"What's going on? What's happening tomorrow?" _she thought while walking along the corridors.

--

The next morning, Ino was surprised to see almost half of the students in school standing in front of the school gates. "Why is everybody here?" she asked Shikamaru who was standing beside her. "The athletes are going to have a training camp in the Tea Country. They're leaving today and I guess everybody is here to show their support." he answered and looked at her. She turned to him. "What?" she asked innocently. He smiled at her. "Nothing." he looked down with sad eyes.

Fan girls were everywhere and so were the teachers. "Sasuke-sama, good luck!" the fan girls yelled. Sasuke didn't even look at them from the window. Naruto punched him lightly on the shoulder and he turned to him. The fox-boy pointed at the girls outside holding banners. Sasuke looked at them with his sharp eyes and they all giggled and screamed.

The bus began to move and everybody was waving goodbye to the athletes. Ino also stood with the crowd, thinking of such impossible things. _"What if he goes out of the bus, runs to me and tells me he still loves me?" _she thought. Suddenly, the bus stopped and one athlete came down from the bus running. "Oh my gosh, Sasuke!" Ino exclaimed and immediately covered her mouth. _"He's heading this way! My heart's beating too fast!" _she felt that her body was totally paralyzed. He was already getting near when an orange-haired girl blocked her view. "Sasuke-kun, I knew you couldn't leave without this." she handed him his mp3. "Thanks, Yakumo-san." he said and left. All Sasuke's fan girls glared at Yakumo. Ino's heart sank, she wanted to faint. _"I never knew…they're close."_ she thought.

A week had already passed and Ino still couldn't get over Sasuke. She was in her mind every second.

--

One peaceful afternoon, Shikamaru invited Ino for ice cream after school.

"What's the occasion?" she asked taking a teaspoon of her vanilla ice cream. "Nothing, I just want to see you." he said and smiled at her. "What? Have you gone mad Shikamaru?" she asked and laughed. "Yes." he answered seriously. "I'm going insane a million times a day." he added. "Why?" she asked in a now delicate manner. "Because…because I know you still love him." he answered. "Shikamaru…" she held his hand. "Let's end here, Ino." he mumbled. "What's wrong with you Shikamaru? I can't talk to you if you're like that!" she stood up and ran away. "I-Ino!" he exclaimed.

--

On the other hand, Sasuke and his team just finished practicing together with the soccer players from Choza Gakuen, a school in Tea Country.

While on their way to the bus, he saw a familiar person who was running towards his direction. _"S-sakura?"_ he thought to himself. "Sasuke-kun, I never expected to see you around!" she yelled waving her hand. His friends turned to see the pink-haired girl. "It's Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted and gave her a friendly hug. "Hey, watch it." she said and poked his forehead. "Ow ow ow! I was just hugging!" he mumbled with puppy eyes. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Long time no see." Sasuke muttered. "You're same as always Sasuke-kun. How's it going with Ino-chan?" she asked. Sasuke looked down while the other athletes looked at each other. "S-sakura-chan…uh…you know…Sasuke-teme and Yamanaka have been well. Same as always, they go home together, they eat lunch to-OUCH!" he exclaimed when Sasuke punched his face.

"Shut up." he mumbled.

"You broke up huh?" she asked.

Sasuke didn't reply.

"Tell me everything." she took a grip on his wrist.

"Why would I?" he asked and shook her hand away.

He went inside the bus, leaving Sakura standing there.

"_She broke her promise…" _she thought within herself.

--

Ino was trying to fix her phone while walking along the corridors when she heard big news.

"At last, I'm going to see Sasuke-sama again!" a random fan girl said.

"Yeah, training camp is almost over and they'll be home by next week!" another one said.

Ino's mouth dropped and her phone fell from her hand. "Ohmigosh! Now I'm gonna start all over again! Sheesh…" she muttered and picked it up.

--

Today is the day the athletes will be attending class again. Monday though was their rest day, so today's Tuesday. The bell had just rang for lunch break and the students got out of their rooms and headed for the cafeteria.

Ino didn't want to eat lunch so she decided to go to the field. While on her way, she thought again of the past. She looked at the field, she saw herself playing. It was way back when she was in her junior years. Then, still in her mind, she saw Sasuke, playing soccer with her. _"Hey, captain!" _she remembered him calling her. _"What's up, coach?" _she replied. They both played together, not until Sakura arrived.

Ino sat on the bleachers when she reached the grandstand. _"That time too…" _she thought. _"Sasuke broke up with Sakura and confessed his love for me."_ She covered her face with both hands. _"Damn, I can't cry…" _she thought to herself for a second. Then she began to sob.

"Hey, captain." he heard a boy's voice. She didn't want to know who it was. Someone tapped her shoulder and that made her look at the person.

"Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru smiled. "Reminiscing the past eh?" he asked. "Yeah, I can't still get over it." she replied and smiled. Shikamaru sat beside her, "I know."

She leaned on him. "It's not okay with you." she said and looked at him in they eyes. He smiled at her again. "Then, could we just be friends instead of lovers?" he asked. "Hey, you'll get mad at me!" she exclaimed. "Nope. I'm not going to be mad at you. I promised you before, remember? I'm going to make you happy no matter what…even if it means letting you go." His face looked sad. She knew he didn't want to say that. "You still love Sasuke don't you?" he asked her. "I…I don't know." she muttered. "C'mon! I know you still do!" he pinched her cheek.

"What do we have here? Love birds?" a voice from behind asked. "Uzumaki!" Ino exclaimed. "Hey, this isn't lovers' park guys. The bell just rang ya know." he informed. "Then why are you still here?" Shikamaru asked. "I hate to attend Kakashi-sensei's class. He's boring!" he said and ran away. "Let's go!" Ino pulled Shikamaru.

**TBC**

* * *

**My third fic. Please read and review. Arigato! Chapter 2 will be up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Midori Fields**

Ino wanted to crumple the paper in her hand. Written on it was an important note by the Hokage to Shikamaru. "But two years is so long. You haven't even graduated yet." Ino said sadly as she handed Shikamaru the paper. "Getsugakure isn't that far, I guess. And about graduation, Tsunade-sama is quite impressed with my grades. I think I'll have to go with her decision in sending me for training and experience. This is quite an adventure, Ino." Shikamaru said as he took the paper from her and looked at the fluffy clouds from the window, trying to imagine himself in a new environment.

They were now alone in the classroom, the perfect time for Ino to stop him. "But, you're such a lazy person. Why would you want adventure? When we graduate, we're gonna get awesome missions so why can't you stay?" she asked. She was full of hope. Sakura had left her for some time and she can't afford to lose Shikamaru either. If he leaves, she'll have no one to talk to. She'll be stuck with Sasuke and no one will lend her a shoulder when she cries.

"Shikamaru…" she walked towards him and hugged him from behind. "Please stay." She begged as tears started to fall from her eyes. Shikamaru gently squeezed Ino's hands and raised it to his lips. "I'll be back, I promise. And by the time I get back, Uchiha Sasuke will be nothing but a loser… and you'll be mine." He said in the sweetest voice he could manage to calm her down. He turned around to give her a warm embrace. Ino buried her face on his chest as she continued to sob.

It was a sad afternoon and the weather joined Ino's tears later that night. Two days after his farewell, Shikamaru left Konoha for Getsugakure.

It was another typical school day, but not for Ino. Shikamaru and Chouji would usually wait for her outside the flower shop and they would walk to school together. But even Chouji didn't feel like going to school now that his last days in high school were going to be Shikamaru-free.

Ino watched the students walk happily, side by side with their friends. Everyone was greeting her a pleasant morning but she could only afford a fake smile to hide her loneliness. "_It's just so different now that you're not here", _she thought.

"Ohayou, Ino-chan." A small voice greeted her.

She quickly turned around and found the cute Hinata. "Morning." She greeted back and smiled, a real one this time. "I heard about Shikamaru…" she mumbled. Ino's sky blue eyes lost its glow, like a blue sky turned gray. "I'm sorry!" Hinata exclaimed when she read Ino's expression. She bowed her head for several times but she felt like her apologies weren't enough.

"Stop it, Hinata. It's okay." Ino forced a smile again. She grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her to the classroom.

During a vacant period, Hinata approached Ino on her desk. "Hinata, is something wrong?" Ino asked looking worried. Hinata shook her head and smiled. "It's just that before Shikamaru left, he told me that you could use some company. He couldn't trust you with Chouji since he's also busy with soccer." Hinata informed as she sat on a chair beside Ino. "He's so worried about you being alone, Ino-chan." She added. There was warmth in her voice.

Ino looked at her in the eyes. They were white but they could see what normal eyes couldn't. "Will you last until two years?" Ino asked. "I'm not a chocolate so I don't have any expiration date. I could be a friend as long as you want me to." She chuckled. Ino's face lit up as she saw happiness in Hinata.

Five minutes seemed to be five long years as Hinata and Ino talked about anything they could find under the sun, including boys. The loud and quiet combination wasn't so bad at all; maybe Shikamaru thought about this strategy too.

"So you mean Kiba dumped you? How mean!" Ino exclaimed angrily upon hearing what Hinata had said. "He was so good to me at first. But when he got tired of me, he told me it wasn't working. He said there was no spark so he left me alone like garbage." Hinata cried out. It was so unusual for her to do that but since she was already doing it, she allowed Ino to see her grieving side. "So why didn't you let Neji beat him up?" Ino asked. "They're in one team so I don't want them to fight. I don't want Neji to be protecting me because it makes me feel inferior." She said and wiped her eyes.

Ino sighed. "But I heard Naruto has a big crush on you." She looked at Hinata with a you-can't-keep-a-secret-from-me look. Hinata looked at her and blushed. She was so red that Ino imagined her to be a tomato. "Oh my, you're so cute! No wonder why Naruto is so into you!" Ino laughed her heart out as Hinata continued to blush in embarrassment.

The bell rang for History class and the conversation was cut short. But Ino knew her newly formed friendship would last, just like the Ino-Shika-Cho bond.

"Uchiha, before you leave, could you please call Asuma. Tell him I need him right now because it's urgent." Tsunade ordered before Sasuke could go out of her office. Sasuke didn't reply and twisted the knob. "And by the way…" Tsunade called out. "About the bulletin board you broke last time, you're going to get a punishment for that." Tsunade grinned behind him as he pushed the door open.

"_Punishment, huh? I wonder what foolish ideas she has in mind." _He thought and smirked. The student who happened to pass by and had seen his expression fainted with a sigh.

"Teme! Teme!" Naruto called out as he ran towards Sasuke. "What?" Sasuke asked coldly. Naruto's happy face froze as if he was bathed in ice. "Oooh. I smell something creepy behind that door." Naruto pointed to the direction of the Hokage's office. The image of a cruel Tsunade-sama appeared in Sasuke's mind. "What the hell are you thinking?" Sasuke asked, keeping his cool. Naruto grinned a wide evil grin. "Are you going to dress up as a girl for the festival next week?"

"NO!" Sasuke yelled.

* * *

**TBC**

**

* * *

This is all I could write for now. I'm so sorry for the loooooong wait. R&R. Chapter 3 is in my mind as of the moment . **


	3. Chapter 3

**Midori Fields: **Chapter 3

An array of costumes blocked her way but that didn't stop Yamanaka Ino from sneaking in the first section's designated classroom. "Just a little more, I know I can find it…" she softly encouraged herself. She was looking for the planner which Hayase left on his desk earlier. The planner contained all the scheduled activities of the first section, and she wanted to keep on track. "They won against us during the annual school festival; I can't let them win now. Our class must win the Pre-Graduation Festival this time." she muttered as she scanned the pile of papers on the table by the cabinet.

"Oh really?"

Ino froze upon hearing the voice behind her. _"Darn it._" She thought and bit her lip.

**XoXoXoXoX**

"What? This is the punishment? Join forces with the first section instead of separating from them?" Naruto exclaimed upon reading the request sent by the Hokage.

"Yeah, it's a war between Yamanaka's class and the senior soccer club; though I doubt her classmates would cooperate after they've learned about what she did." Kiba replied and chuckled. "She must've been really sorry; she knows she can't win against us. What can you say, Sasuke?" Neji asked coolly.

"Don't care." He replied nonchalantly.

"Hey man, this is _your_ punishment. You _should_ care." Naruto slammed the paper on the table.

"Hn." He rested his arms on the table and thought for a while.

"Do you think Yamanaka's still into you?" Kiba interrupted. Sasuke's thoughts shifted upon hearing the question.

"There's one percent, I guess. Since she's the one who broke up with you, right?" Neji speculated. Sasuke looked out the window and began thinking of Ino.

"This is my punishment and I can't fail…" he stood up from his seat and walked towards the window while his team mates nodded in unison. "We could use that one percent, Neji…" he turned to them and grinned. "Fan service." He finally said.

**XoXoXoXoX**

The Pre-Graduation Festival is a five-day event hosted by the seniors; the last festival they will be celebrating as students. The first four days is an inter-section competition filled with various kinds of activities enjoyed by the lower year levels. The last day is a culminating activity as the whole school comes to witness the awarding ceremony followed by the graduation rights the next day.

"Ino, I told you that was a bad idea." Hinata mumbled anxiously. "But we can't just let them win. That was my only choice! I didn't expect that beastly Yakumo to be there." Ino exclaimed. "You had another choice though, and it was _not_ to sneak in their territory!" Kujaku yelled.

"You know, it's really okay if we lost to them. Besides, they _are_ the first section; everyone expects them to win." Shibuki said shyly as the others in the classroom agreed with him.

Ino's eyes were filled with rage; she didn't know what to do next. Because of Shikamaru's withdrawal from school, the obligations as class president were all passed down to her.

"Yamanaka-san, the first section is declaring war against us! The senior soccer club members even teamed up with them!" Kin, the secretary, shouted as she reached the door. "What? But I thought they were going to have a separate room?" Ino asked, panicking. "No, they'll be working alongside fourth year- A as requested by the Hokage." Kin cried out.

"WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" a random student screamed and everyone in the classroom felt really hopeless.

"Hinata, look for people who could help you arrange the room. I'm gonna call for a meeting." Ino ordered. Hinata nodded and ran outside to her fellow classmates as Ino brainstormed on her seat.

There was a commotion outside the room but Ino didn't know why until the students paved way for the entrance of the burning hot senior soccer club members.

"Well, well, well. Looks like it's between your class and ours, Yamanaka." Naruto entered the Fourth Year-C room with a mischievous look on his face. Behind him were Kiba, Neji, Lee, Chouji and Sasuke.

"Gate crashing much?" Ino stood up, head held high though her fingers were shaking.

"No, we're just here to deliver a message from the Hokage." Sasuke pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Wow, she found great couriers!" she said sarcastically. "Just read it." He replied with an irritated face which made her lips curve a bit. There was so much awkwardness in the room but Ino managed to pull the paper from his hand and started to read.

_To all students concerned,_

_This week's festival will not be complete without house rules._

_All participating student s are not allowed to enter other rooms except their designated classroom. A student who fails to follow this rule will be disqualified._

_Deadly weapons will be confiscated including kunais and shurikens. Please be reminded that this festival aims to be a peaceful one._

_Liquors are not to be served._

_We look forward to your cooperation._

_-The Hokage_

Ino folded back the paper and held unto it for a while. "You finished?" Naruto asked. "Ah… yes, here." She handed him back the paper. They were all ready to go when a thought came into Sasuke which made him flinch.

"Something wrong, Sasuke?" Kiba asked, turning his head around with both hands in his jacket pockets.

Sasuke spaced out a bit, which for everyone was unusual. "Ino…" he called her name. Murmurs began to fill the room as they heard him talk. He walked towards her to whisper in her ear which made Ino feel really cold inside.

"There'll be a consequence once your class loses against us. Good luck." He leaned back and looked at her straight in the eyes. "What if it will be the other way around?" she asked, trying to maintain a steady disposition. "That will _never_ happen." He smirked, turned around and left.

Ino sensed the rising anger among his fan girls. _"This is bad." _She thought.

**XoXoXoXoX**

The Fourth Year-A officers gathered around and made a big circle. They decided to change the scheduled activities due to the senior soccer players teaming up with them.

"We'll be handling everything from here. We just need the prettiest guys and girls you have in class. The rest will have to work as backups, cooks, props men and whatever useful job they might to do help." Neji spoke as he opened a new planner.

"The opening ceremony will be this afternoon. After that, what do you guys plan to do? We need to attract as many students as we can." Shion, the class vice pres, said as she scanned the suggested list of activities. The soccer members smiled and looked at each other; they were thinking about the thing Rock Lee proposed while they were brainstorming.

"We already know what to do, Shion. Don't worry." Kiba grinned. "So, what do you want us to do?" she asked. "We need you to look for pretty hula dancers among the class and someone who can make tropical beverages. We would also need a number of classroom designers. The rest will be our job. We're going to give the students the best Hawaiian experience inside this classroom!" Lee said delightedly as stars twinkled in his eyes while imagining the atmosphere he's going to bring.

"It's 8AM; can we do that in a span of three hours?" Nagare asked as he looked at his wristwatch. "If you guys move now then I guess everything will be possible. You're all dismissed except for the soccer people." Sasuke said and transferred to a seat near Naruto so that they could talk about their own plans.

"Daaang Uchiha, you had the guts to tell your ex-girl about some consequence a while ago! Kudos!" Kiba raised a fist as the other guys laughed. "I was able to hear your whisper thanks to my doggie ears. So, what's this 'consequence' you told her about?" he added curiously. Sasuke's smiled a bit but he didn't answer; instead, he went back to their topic.

"Do you guys know where we could get those beach clothes?" He asked. The sparkle in Lee's eyes came out again. "Since I was the one who suggested this, I'm gonna let you guys borrow my collection of Aloha shirts. They all come in different colors and designs!" Lee said proudly.

"I'm gonna research about the tropical Hawaiian drinks; I think I could help out." Neji volunteered.

"I'll go look for Hokushin. I'll ask him to look for happy Hawaiian music." Naruto raised his hands as he spoke.

"Chouji and I will be preparing foods to be served! Right, man?" Kiba asked as he put his arm around Chouji's neck. "Uh…yeah." Chouji replied.

"Serve the ladies well; since I predict that we're gonna get more females than males this afternoon. You're all dismissed." Sasuke said and stood up from his seat. The classroom was now in the hands of the students who volunteered to decorate it.

**XoXoXoXoX**

"Class Rep Hyou, I got a lot of suggestions from our classmates a while ago. Thanks to the suggestion box you suggested." Hinata said with a smiling face. She was bringing a small white box filled with folded papers which contained her classmates' suggested activities.

Hyou took the box and opened it; he smiled as he read what was written on every paper. "They're not so bad at all. Yamanaka, take a look at these!" He called out.

Ino put the glue down as she finished pasting the last two flowers on the door. She wiped her hands on the pink apron hanging by the chair and took some papers Hyou handed her.

"A haunted café isn't so bad. But how do we create scary yet tasty treats and scary costumes?" Ino asked. Three students raised their hands from behind her.

"Not a problem! Our family runs a cosplay inspired shop; I guess I could ask mom for costumes." Ayame said with excitement in her voice.

"My mom would be happy if I asked her to help me cook some Halloween treats. But I kinda need some helpers." Okyou, one of the prettiest girls in class, said sweetly.

Ino couldn't believe what she was seeing - two guys and a girl immediately volunteered to help Okyou.

The last volunteer was Iwashi. He was grabbing another classmate, Tayuya with him. "We may be part of the lowest ten in class but you can trust us in the classroom design." He said, raising pieces of colored papers and some black cloth. "Where'd you even get that?" Tayuya shrugged him off.

"Looks like we need to come up with other ideas for the following days, Yamanaka. Let's go form committees." Kin, who was standing beside Ino, said as she grabbed her hand.

Ino wanted to cry. She knew they were going to lose but her classmates wanted to prove her otherwise.

* * *

**I was carried away LOL. I used an all-Naruto cast up there. If you've forgotten their faces, you could check them out at leafninja. R&R. Currently working on Chapter 4. Thank you :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Midori Fields Chapter 4**

The clock struck 12 noon and everyone in the campus was excited. The opening ceremony would begin at 1 PM and the classes will all be suspended for the seniors' Pre-Graduation Festival.

All the stairs leading to the fourth floor of the building were decorated; colorful lanterns hung by the ceiling, ribbons swayed with the wind, music was in the air and the fourth year students were all busy preparing.

Sasuke gathered his army to check if everything's all set for their grand opening. Everyone in charge formed a horizontal line in front of him. They were all dressed in Hawaiian-inspired outfits and his team mates were looking unusually great. He smirked and sighed.

"Before we all go down, I want to wish you all good luck," he said.

Naruto burst out laughing upon hearing Sasuke's words. It was very strange for him to say such things. He sounded like a mother. His laughter ended when Neji poked him hard on the shoulder.

"The flowers are ready, the tables are set and Yagura has prepared everything on the menu. All we need are a bunch of excited customers, Uchiha-san," Shion said as she marked her check list. Sasuke stretched out his hands. "Let's do this!"

**OxoxoxoxO**

Meanwhile, in the Fourth Year C classroom, they were still busy hanging their decorations and preparing the tables. "Yamanaka-san, I'm really sorry the cookies were a bit late. If only mom knew earlier," Okyou apologized as she placed the box of cookies on the table. "It's okay, Okyou-chan. Leave it there and get dressed. The ceremony's about to start," Ino said as she put out the trays from another box.

Class Rep Hyou happily pulled out tickets from his pocket and showed them to Ino as he got inside the classroom. "Are you asking me on a date?" Ino asked jokingly. Hyou chuckled. "No silly. While all of you were busy with today's preparation, I asked Hinata to help me plan for the next day. These tickets will be for the event tomorrow," he said in a sweet disposition.

Ino wanted to hug him that instant. "I don't know how I could thank you enough," she took the tickets and looked at them. "I don't get it. Why are they in different colors?" she asked, examining each one. Hyou grinned and pulled out the green ticket from Ino's hand. "They are priority tickets. Tomorrow will be the 'Ticket Hunt Day'," he told her with an excited look.

Hinata, who was standing beside him, stepped forward and told further details. "Most of our classmates wanted some adventure. I asked them if they could facilitate in the hunt tomorrow and they all agreed. These tickets will give special prizes to those who can find it."

"This green ticket will serve as a free pass to any movie theater in the city. The pink one will serve as a coupon for free ice cream in any ice cream parlor. The blue will be a free pass to the Beach Resort and the yellow one a free pass to the carnival. The red one will be extremely special because it would be a special tour in Kyoto. Each ticket is good for four students," Hyou said and gasped for breath. "That was a long one," he added and wiped the sweat on his forehead.

"We couldn't have done this without the help of our other classmates. We could be poor in grades but we're not literally poor. Some are just too lazy to study because they'll eventually inherit their families' fortune, take for example Class Rep Hyou. Also, Sai donated for the Beach Resort pass and the carnival pass. Kin donated for the ice cream parlor pass and the rest were taken from the funds we saved from last year's school festival," Hinata said with a smile on her face.

Ino wanted to faint. She couldn't believe her lazy-before classmates were beginning to show interest in their activity.

"So what are we waiting for?" Ayame asked, waving her cat paw costume in the air. Everyone in the room got out and proceeded downstairs for the opening ceremony.

**OxoxoxoxO **

The quadrangle was filled with excited and energetic students, not to mention impatient fan girls who were all grumbling. The seniors were all in their costumes except for the students from 4th Year A who were all wearing black capes and hoods. This intrigued the student body more.

On the grand stage stood Tsunade and other members of the faculty. As she stepped forward, the excitement grew stronger that others squealed and screamed.

"Good afternoon," she greeted. "I know you're all winded up for this afternoon's activity. I just would like to tell you that I don't want to receive reports about students getting into fights. They're such a pain in the neck now that the higher ups are having an evaluation about this school. So please, observe proper behavior. Let's make this week a memorable one especially for our seniors. Now, without much fuss, let the Seniors Pre-Graduation Festival begin!"

Everyone applauded. Fireworks filled the clear blue sky and cheers were heard everywhere. The seniors were the first ones to go upstairs to wrap things up and to prepare for the guests.

**OxoxoxoxO **

The freshman students, the first batch, were all in awe as they looked at the beautiful decorations that greeted them. As they climbed up the flight of stairs, each senior was praying that their section would make a good first impression.

The students looked around as the mascots of each section began to do their job: convince the students to go to their rooms.

Naruto and Kiba brought samples of Hawaiian drinks with them as they invited every student they could find. Every girl would fall for them and eventually go to the 4th Year A room to have some 'Hot Hawaiian Experience' with all the hot members of the Soccer Club.

The second section's theme was a tea party and because it was so typical, only a few students showed interest.

On the other hand, 4th Year C was still expecting guests. "Why hasn't anyone come in yet?" Hinata asked with a look of disappointment on her face. "It's because our classroom is the last one and nobody passes by the left wing because it's the exit," Kin stated. "Don't you think it's way better that our classroom's here? Save the best for last?" Ino asked, trying to cheer her classmates up.

Hyou sighed. "The first section serves Hawaiian food. The second section serves American-based food while we serve...Halloween pastries? We all serve food. Wouldn't that make them fat if they stop by every room?" He asked.

**OxoxoxoxO **

Sasuke and his gang were busy serving all the ladies while the hula dancers served the men. It was a great idea, Sasuke thought. He could beat Ino's team this way. It was even a great revenge. She never told him why she wanted to break up, so it was payback time.

The breakup. Yes, he remembers clearly. She never told him why; it was just an 'I don't want to be with you anymore and I want you out of my life. Forget about me and stay away from me' line that broke his heart into a million pieces. Well, not that's he's sentimental or something.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto called out. Sasuke snapped out of it and came back to his senses. "Don't sleep while you're awake, man. We've plenty of girls to serve," he said and shoved him lightly.

He looked at the room for the last time; it was a busy and crowded room. He asked Neji to substitute for him while he thinks of a plan for the next day. He decided to go out of the classroom for fresh air, not noticing the herd of fan girls standing beside him.

"SASUKE-SAMA!" they all yelled. He didn't want anyone to disturb him that second so his last resort was to run for his life.

The moment they disappeared, silence filled the air. He found himself hiding behind a tree near the football field. He looked down and to his surprise, discovered that his shirt was unbuttoned. So that's why they kept chasing me, he thought to himself and smirked.

He lay down and rested his head on the soft grass. After a while, the prince dozed off in a cozy nap.

**OxoxoxoxO **

That was the longest afternoon Ino has ever experienced in her entire life. They served a total of thirty-seven customers and she felt really wasted.

Hinata approached her and gave her a tap on the shoulder. "Tomorrow, I promise, you'll be staying here while we facilitate the hunt. Sai volunteered to help you in planning for the third day," she said with pleasure.

"That would really help a lot. Will it be okay if I don't join the hunt?" she asked. "Of course, we've got enough man power. I'll kick those lazy-asses if they don't move tomorrow," Kin showed of her small muscles as they laughed together.

As the first day ended with a bang, Ino praised herself quietly. _Good job, Ino. Good job. _She smiled as thoughts for the third day ran through her mind while she walked out of the building.

Before she could reach the gates, she turned around and took a look at the field. Her classmates were busy hiding the clues in every part of the campus. Hinata was panting when she passed by. She smiled and thanked her for her hard work.

By the tree she saw a sleeping lazy-ass. _Now Kin's powers would really work on you._ She walked towards the person and stopped after she recognized his gorgeous face. No, not gorgeous. She meant his annoying face. Oh, forget about it. He was indeed gorgeous.

Sasuke's sleeping figure was by far the most beautiful masterpiece Ino could ever imagine. But she stopped thinking about that idea and turned around.

"Walking away after seeing an angel, Yamanaka?" he asked, still with his eyes closed.

Ino paused, with eyes wide in surprise. After a few seconds, she continued walking again, ignoring what he had just said.

"When will you ever talk to me?" he asked. He was now a few inches away from her, walking normally while she was walking at her fastest rate, almost running.

When she finally stopped walking, she turned to face him. "What do you want?" she asked, irritated.

"You," he directly replied. "And a valid reason for our breakup," he added.

Ino rolled her eyes. "I'm not in love with you anymore, don't you get it? I. DON'T. LOVE. YOU. ANYMORE," she emphasized those lines. "That's not gonna work for me. If you're in love with someone else I could accept that but in Shikamaru's case I knew that was a rebound," he said, starting to get mad.

"Can you stop asking me that question, Sasuke? I just don't want to be with you anymore," she turned around to walk again but he was too fast. He pulled her wrist and made her face him again.

"What did I do? If you needed space you could've told me," he said, his voice starting to calm down. She knew he felt really bad, and she felt the same too. "Let's talk about this another time, Sasuke. I don't know what to tell you anymore. I still have a lot of things to do," she pushed him away and broke free from his grasp.

"I'll never stop caring about you, Ino. But if you keep on pushing me away like this, I just might," he said and started to walk away.

The wind blew hard that moment, as if whispering to Ino that she should turn around and tell him she was sorry and that she still loved him.

She did, but he wasn't there anymore.

* * *

**I got carried away for the second time. Sorry for the few SasuIno interactions. I still need inspiration : /**


	5. Chapter 5

**Midori Fields: Chapter 5**

The next two days had been hard for everyone. They all did their best to accomplish every task assigned to them and fortunately, everything was going well.

Except for the happenings between a certain boy and the girl he still loved, who secretly loves him still but decided to call it quits for some reason.

And that was the problem, he didn't know why. Uchiha Sasuke has always been the boy wonder; the prince, the school hottie and just about everything pleasing to all the senses. He didn't know why perfect girl (minus the grades?) Yamanaka Ino decided to break up with him.

_I guess same poles do repel._

Ino sighed as she looked outside the view from her room. _We loved the same sport, agreed on the same things and practically liked the same stuff. Isn't there anything that's to hate about him?_ These words ran through her mind like a Ferris wheel, going round and round.

"_Break up with him for me."_

Yamanaka Ino recalled these words which came from her own best friend, Haruno Sakura. Before she left, Sakura asked Ino to promise her not to break up with him. That oath was made before Sasuke's face.

But a day later, she received a call. No, it wasn't a call; it was a threat.

_The sound of the phone ringing woke her up that sunny morning._

"_Hello," Yamanaka Ino greeted sleepily._

"_Ino-chan."_

"_Sakura-chan!" she recognized the voice immediately._

"_Ne, it's me," she answered._

"_Miss me already? How was your first day?" she asked with a happy tone._

"_No, not really. It's fine. Ne, Ino, can I ask you a favor?" Sakura asked. Ino couldn't distinguish the emotion in Sakura's voice._

"_Yeah, sure. As long as I can manage," Ino replied confidently._

"_Break up with him for me."_

_Ino was stunned. She didn't know what to say after hearing those words._

"_Sakura, are you okay?" Ino finally asked, thinking her best friend was only kidding._

"_No, I'm not."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because of you."_

"_Me? What did I do?"_

"_You bitch."_

"_Sakura, watch your words."_

"_Well aren't you a bitch? Sasuke broke up with me because of you. How long have you been dating secretly?"_

"_We never dated secretly. You knew I liked him from the start. But he chose you, so I gave way and kept everything to myself."_

"_So how did he come to like you back? You seduced him you slut."_

"_Call me anything you want, Sakura. I don't give a damn care._ _You always left him with me, knowing that he's yours and you have his loyalty. But he always complained about you spending more time inside that lab, working so hard to get high grades in order to have some advance experience in medicine."_

_There was a pause._

_Ino knew Sakura was in the thinking phase. Sakura on the other line recalled how she always asked Ino to wait for Sasuke in the lobby after dismissal and tell him to wait for her. Those long nights of remedial classes with Tsunade resulted to Sasuke's impatience._

"_Then why didn't you tell me? Why were you being so selfish?" She finally spoke again. She was trying her best not to cry but Ino could tell her feelings._

"_I was being selfish because I thought you wouldn't understand. I figured out you would think Sasuke's talking to me more about his feelings when he's supposed to be talking to you. Besides, I thought he told you that he always gets bored waiting for you." Ino explained the best she could._

_She heard Sakura sob. "You're indeed my friend," she murmured._

_Ino didn't reply and waited for a few seconds._

"_Break up with him, or I'll kill myself." Sakura spoke firmly._

"_What?" Ino exclaimed._

"_I'll kill myself right now."_

"_Are you insane?" Ino's mind was panicking._

"_Yes, I'm insane. Me or him? It's your choice."_

"_Hold on."_

That time, Ino didn't know what else to do so she hung up and thought hard about the decision she was about to make. She knew Sakura would really kill herself. If Sakura wanted something, she'll do everything to get it. The boyfriend, or the best friend? She didn't whom she should choose.

Back when Ino and Sasuke got together, Sakura pretended to accept things the normal way. She cried and then moved on. But those were all pretensions. She even hooked up with Naruto to show everyone she's perfectly okay. But in the end, she also broke up with the fox, telling him he wasn't boyfriend material.

Then Sakura worked hard to pass the exams for a mednin experience in Tea Country. She tried to escape the reality that continued to haunt her. But she knew she couldn't.

**OxoxoxoxO**

"Ino-chan! Ino-chan!" Hinata sounded like a little girl as she galloped towards Ino. Upon seeing her, Ino chuckled. "What is it? Why so happy?" she asked.

"Guess what? Guess what?" she asked merrily. This was the first time Hinata showed so much happiness. Ino was so glad that she got to know Hinata's different sides in only a span of days.

After a few seconds of thinking, Ino finally answered, "Uzumaki Naruto finally confessed to you?"

Hinata's face turned tomato-red. "No~! Stop mentioning his name. It's embarrassing!" She giggled. "The good news is that we're only a few points away to tying with 4A!" Hinata jumped and waved her hands in the air. That was just so not her.

Without second thoughts, Ino yelped and joined the jumping Hinata as they squealed in happiness.

**OxOxOxOxOxO**

Today, 4C was having the 'Makeover Day' which included a free photo shoot. Everyone was really interested especially the girls because they liked looking pretty. There was also a free photo booth for couples where they could wear different cosplay costumes.

The rival section, 4A, didn't do much during the daytime. They only sold tickets because their event was scheduled in the evening. Of course, no one could miss an evening activity so almost everyone bought tickets, except for seniors who were afraid to get disqualified.

"Awww, I really wanna see what the first section has prepared. If they're gonna prepare fireworks then we can all sneak in the school tonight," Kin cried out.

"I can't believe there were a few of us who decided to get disqualified just for that evening event. I'm feeling hopeless. I guess we can't really win against them," Class Rep Hyou complained and fanned himself.

Ino walked freely down the hall, on her way to their classroom.

"Yamanaka-san!" Neji called out from a distance. Ino turned around and found Hinata's cousin walking a few feet away. He was waving a paper as he walked.

_Must be something important._ Ino thought to herself.

"I'm so glad I found you. Someone told me to give this to you," he said and handed her the paper. It wasn't an ordinary paper. It looked like a special kind of stationery. The smell was wonderful and it looked really elegant.

"From whom?" she asked curiously. "It's stated on the letter. I won't spoil you, wouldn't I? Well, see you," he bid goodbye and walked away.

Ino studied the paper as she walked back to their room. The scent was rather attractive. It looked like it belonged to man intended for a woman.

_I sure hope this isn't from Sasuke. Oh stop it. Why would he give me this?_

**OxoxoxoxO**

_Ino,_

_Meet me at the school grounds at 6pm tonight. Urgent._

_-Uchiha_

"That's it?" Ino asked herself in confusion. Maybe the Uchiha prodigy was too shy after what happened last afternoon. Kin and Hinata both read the note as Ino handed it to them. "Ino-chan, maybe he really wants you back. You should go!" Kin exclaimed and blinked her pretty eyes a few times.

"Listen, I don't love him anymore. Besides, if her little soldiers knew..." she cut of her sentence after realizing what she had just said.

"Little soldiers?" Hinata asked. "Her? Who are we talking about here again? I kinda don't get it." Kin added.

Ino's eyes wandered as she thought of the right answers without making it obvious she's about to bluff.

"I meant 'him'. Sorry. If his team mates knew about this, then everyone would know too," she stated, her mind fearing they would see through her.

"So what if they knew? I bet Hyuuga Neji already knows what's written here," Kin waved the paper. Hinata nodded in agreement and said, "It would be really nice if the school hears about you and Uchiha-san getting back together," Hinata smiled sweetly.

_But not his fan girls._

As they separated ways for home, Ino thought about the conversation. She sighed in relief when her answer satisfied the curious Hinata and Kin.

'Her' meant Sakura; the Sakura who lost someone important because of her selfish ambitions and decided to kill herself if Ino didn't split up with Sasuke. Because Ino cared too much about Sakura, she decided to break her ties with Sasuke even if it was against her will.

The 'little soldiers' were the new sophomore and junior recruits of Tsunade who worked alongside Sakura when she was still in school. They all got together so well that Ino even got jealous of their friendship.

If those little spies knew about Ino seeing Sasuke again, they would tell. Then everything will turn into chaos. Ino didn't want Sakura dead; she loved her so much.

So as twilight came, Ino made her decision. "I'm not coming," she told herself and lay on the comfy bed. But before sleep could even capture her, she stood up and changed her uniform into casual clothes.

She rushed out of the door and ran as fast as she could to the school grounds. The clock struck 6 and she was already panting.

_Sasuke._

She thought as she ran. She closed her eyes and imagined him waiting there. He would look at her and smile, because she was finally going to tell him her real feelings; the feelings that never left her heart even though her mind told her to do so.

It was dark. Everything was silent and she could hear the silent whispers of the evening wind. She checked her watch, 6:15 PM.

_I hope he's still here._

She pushed open the gates and it creaked as it moved. Slowly, she stepped in the school grounds. There was no one, but why were the grounds shaking? She looked around and heard sounds coming from the gym. Out of curiosity, she sneaked herself in.

"Ah, look who has come to join the celebration!" Yakumo announced from the stage which got filled with beautiful lights the same moment the spotlight was shone into Ino.

There were murmurs she couldn't understand but she knew they were all about her. Suddenly, her brain functioned again.

"This is Fourth Year A's evening party," she said in disbelief. _Darn, how could I forget about it in just a split second?_

The crowd that circled around her cleared as three boys walked towards her. "So you got the note," Sasuke said. Neji grinned beside him. "I can't believe you really came, Yamanaka," he said. Naruto smirked and the murmurs began to get louder.

Ino wanted to die. She couldn't believe that single note ruined her entire plans for the week.

_I'm doomed. I just have to play dead now. Someone, catch me._

She closed her eyes and threw herself slowly to the ground. She waited for the pain she was going to feel the moment her body hit the solid earth.

But it didn't. There was no pain; she didn't feel any pain at all.

**I've been so fond of writing this story lately. I'm glad ideas are flowing while I write. Well, reviews are uber appreciated! Chapter 6 coming soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**A/N: Sorry for another long wait! I just found time (and words) to continue this fic though honestly, I kind of forgot the plot I planned on this one. This chapter is a lot shorter than the rest because my brain's too tired to function. Anyway, please forgive me for updating once a year. Also, I have changed my pen name from D'unforgiven Assassin to Pale Plum Melodies for kawaii reasons ****（****ToT****）**

* * *

**Midori Fields: Chapter 6**

Anxiety and fear enveloped Ino's whole body. She was tensed at the feeling of someone carrying her like that. _Who could this person be?_ She sure hoped it wasn't Sasuke. _Kami-sama, please, no._

She felt her body rest on something wooden. A bench, of course it was a bench. The sound of banging music was gone now, and she could hear the cicadas singing. _Is the person still there? Did he leave me?_ She wanted to open her eyes, but she was afraid she'd meet someone she isn't supposed to see.

After a few minutes of pretending to be asleep (or passed out), she gave out a quiet moan and slowly opened her eyes. _Orange? Something orange?_ When her vision cleared, she saw Naruto sitting at the opposite side of the bench.

"Naruto," she managed a perfect weak voice.

Naruto turned to her and smiled. "You okay?" he asked and moved a bit closer.

"Yeah, I think so," Ino's acting was flawless. She massaged her temples and sat up.

"You sure? You don't look so good," Naruto had a worried look on his face.

_Of course I don't look so good. What the hell am I supposed to tell my classmates tomorrow when they find out I sneaked in to your stupid party because you all tricked me?_

"Thank you," Ino mumbled and slightly curved her lips. "For saving me out there," she added and looked at Naruto.

"Hey dammit! Let me go! Why'd you have to tie me here? I can freakin' keep quiet, you know!" Naruto wailed as he struggled to get out of the tightly tied rope around his body. "Then why can't you shut your mouth now? Sasuke will be back in a while so calm the fuckin' down!" Kiba persuaded and hit Naruto on the head.

"That sonnova... Why does he have to use my looks to talk to that girl, huh?" Naruto complained and rolled his eyes. He couldn't do anything now that he's securely tied...to a tree.

"It's... nothing," Naruto replied in almost a mumble.

"Naruto? Is something wrong?" Ino asked upon noticing the changes in his usual hyperactive behavior.

_Darn. Am I too obvious in this? _Sasuke thought.

"Uh, I have to get going now. If... If they see me talking to you they might say I'm on your side. You know, our class doesn't wanna lose," he answered.

"Wait," Ino took a hold of his wrist.

_Shit, did I just blow my cover?_ Sasuke's thought panicked as he felt Ino's flesh on his arm.

"Please tell Sasuke that he's a jerk," she said in a serious tone.

There was silence. The wind blew cold as if the atmosphere was trying to go with the situation.

"That's why you broke up with him?" Naruto asked without turning around.

Ino fell silent for a moment but she didn't let go of his wrist.

"No, it's not that," she finally spoke. "Well, after we broke up I've always thought that he still had feelings for me. Though I know I'm just assuming and everything..."

_Well of course I do. You're just too naive to notice, Ino._

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't be telling you this. Can you keep this between us even if you're friends with Sasuke?" she pleaded.

_If I were Naruto I wouldn't shut my mouth for sure._

"Yeah, my lips are sealed on that!" he replied and flashed a quirky smile. _This is awkward._

Ino smiled and freed him of her grip. She watched as Naruto slowly disappeared in the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: R&R if you have time :) Thanks for the patience. The_ very_ long patience. Haha.**


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